Fresh vegetables can be yours

THE GARDEN FANATIC

“Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are.”

-- ANTHELME BRILLATSAVARIN

“ Eating well gives a spectacular joy to life and contributes

immensely to goodwill and happy companionship.”

-- ELSA SCHIAPARELLI

Many of us practice only one kind of gardening and cannot be

persuaded to try any other. Given enough time and space, I will try

to grow anything and everything. Although the color from flowers is

indeed rewarding, why eat frozen vegetables or market produce three

days removed from real freshness?

Vegetables are easy to grow in your own garden, cost less than

store bought, and will never be fresher than picked from the vine.

Homegrown vegetables can and should be literally enjoyed within

moments of harvest.

What, then, do we grow? Before you ready your gardening tools,

make a list of vegetables you really like and call your favorite

nursery for their availability and appropriateness to your local

clime. I prefer “starters” to seeds (“early” tomatoes, peppers,

cucumbers, zucchini and eggplant are a few of the vegetables I

spotted this week) because they require less initial care.

Vegetables require at least six hours of sunlight to prosper.

Avoid shade and possible root competition by locating your vegetable

plot away from trees and large shrubs. Select a spot that is

protected from winds and avoid low-lying areas that can become “frost

pockets” in the winter.

Vegetables thrive in rich soil. The addition of Gro-Power will

ensure that your vegetables begin with the proper diet. Heavy clay

soils should be made lighter by the addition of Gypsite and

humus-forming organic material like redwood compost or planter’s mix.

A soil test kit will reveal any serious deficiencies that might

exist.

Once the plants are established, watering should be applied slowly

and deeply to soak the soil to the depth of several inches. Withhold

water until the plants need it again. Drip irrigation is the most

desirable irrigating method -- water is applied deeply and evenly,

sun scald of tender foliage and fruit is avoided, and runoff waste

water is kept to a minimum. Steady watering and proper fertilization

will allow a vegetable garden to flourish.

Vegetable plants cannot compete successfully with weeds, insects

and diseases. The garden should therefore be kept “clean” by removing

weeds before they become well-established. All cultivation and hoeing

should be shallow to keep root damage to a minimum. Pests can be

identified by visual sighting or by the damage they leave. Hand

picking, spraying with water, or the application of soap and oil

products are the first steps in combating insects and mites. Consult

your local nurseryperson for proper selection and use of stronger

pesticides -- only if all else has failed.

It would never occur to Catharine, that anything other than eating

well is essential for a meal. She eagerly makes a meal of veggies and

rice whenever she can. However, I am not convinced that vegetables

alone contribute to a marriage or a tasty meal. Sensing my

skepticism, my sweet wife has offered to add chicken broth to the

stir-fried veggies tonight. That is a true offer of domestic harmony.

See you next time.

* STEVE KAWARATANI is the owner of Landscapes by Laguna Nursery,

1540 S. Coast Highway in Laguna Beach. He is married to local artist,

Catharine Cooper, and has three cats. He can be reached at (949) 497

2438 or e-mail, landscapes@ln.coxatwork.com.